It might look simple on TV but, according to actress Gaynor Faye, weather forecasting is a complicated business. 

Gaynor Faye will soon be back on our screens playing Lauren Harris in the ITV ratings-topping drama series Fat Friends and once again Lauren is in conflict with her husband, the Rev. Paul Thompson, his congregation and her family. 

“It’s Lauren’s burning ambition that’s the cause of all the conflict,” explains Gaynor. “Her sights are set on being a Hollywood superstar and she’s just landed the job of a TV weathergirl and loving every minute of it. She has no inclination to be a ‘proper’ vicar’s wife. She’s not interested in the church and the only reason that she married Paul, bless him, was because she thought he was gorgeous.

“They literally bumped into each other in a pub after a quiz night. He didn’t have his dog collar on, she thought he was the best thing in the room and it was only later that she discovered that he was in fact a man of the cloth. By that time, it was all too late. To make matters worse, all Paul’s parishioners are far more interested in seeing her, even as a very minor celebrity, than they are in listening to his Sunday sermons!” laughs Gaynor.

“Lauren is initially not very good at what she does, and the reason she gets noticed is because she makes a lot of unintentional gaffes which rather endear her to the viewers. They love her for all of that and she becomes a sort of ‘must-see’.”

To play the part, Gaynor certainly had to clue up on how a real-life weather presenter works. The scenes were filmed at the Yorkshire TV studios in Leeds.

“It looks a doddle when you see a forecast on TV, but it’s so complicated,” says Gaynor.

“Remember years ago when the weather presenters stood in front of a printed map, and showed you what was going to happen where? No more. Today, presenters stand in front of a ‘blue screen’, which is a TV optical effect, and there’s absolutely nothing behind them. The viewers see the over-projected graphics, the maps and the symbols, but the presenters don’t.

“They react to TV monitors in front of them which show all the complicated details, and then they have to indicate the points they want to make. Now it sounds easy, but believe me it isn’t! There’s no autocue for a start and presenters have to write and learn their own reports. Then they stand in front of the blankness of the blue screen, and show what’s happening. They have to project friendliness and warmth and a personality, without going over the top — they’re there for information, not for the celebrity. Not that Lauren understands that, of course.

“When I started doing the scenes, I was a dead loss. I’d point out something happening in Scarborough and my hand would be hovering over Glasgow or Newcastle! 

“But slowly, it all fell into place. We had one single day in that weather studio filming 28 scenes that are dropped in through the new series. In that time I had to transform from the nervous, stumbling novice, through to the fluent and confident presenter. I had 28 changes of costumes, hair and make-up. To say that I was exhausted is an understatement. If my career ever flounders, you will never find me seeking alternative employment as a weathergirl!” laughs Gaynor.

“Lauren is in it for the fame and being recognised, albeit in her own little world. I don’t want any of that! I’m in this job, which I love, for the acting alone. Frankly, I was totally amazed when I joined Coronation Street to play Judy Mallet. From being a face in the crowd, I was asked for autographs and had conversations with strangers. It was a shock!” 

Gaynor lives with her businessman husband Mark and their two young children, Oliver and Lily, in North Leeds.

“I am nothing like Lauren — in our own little community, which is so far out of the city that we’re surrounded by fields with sheep and cattle in them, it doesn’t matter what you do for a job. I want to be able to nip to the local shops and be like any other mum. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when people are appreciative of my work but there is a time and a place.

“I remember the times when my mates at Coronation Street, Tina Hobley and Denise Welch among them, used to get out of the Granada studios in Manchester for a lunchtime break. Heads would turn right round as we walked down the street or as we bought knickers or sandwiches in M&S. It was almost as if people couldn’t believe that we were human beings leading a ‘real’ life. That took quite a bit of getting used to. 

“It was always pretty obvious that I was going to be an actress or an entertainer in some way,” continues Gaynor.

“My mum Kay Mellor (pictured far left) created the Fat Friends series. And she used to have her own theatre group. I wrote and staged shows with my mates on the patio in the back garden during the summer holidays, using all her sets and props. We’d charge people to come and watch us. We loved it and it kept us out of mischief for those weeks. At the end of the holidays, all the money that we’d ‘earned’ went into a treat of a day out — somewhere like Flamingo Land or Alton Towers!

“And at school I was always in to art, drama and English, although funnily enough I was also pretty good at maths. Having a very creative and supportive mum didn’t exactly hinder things, either. 

“I’m planning a wee break from acting to spend some quality time with the family because the growing-up of your children is over and gone in the twinkling of an eye. And I also want to write more — I’ve scripted a fair few of the Fat Friends episodes over the recent series. But, as my mum knows all too well, writing creatively is very, very hard. 

“Now it’s time for my family, and for me — things that matter. Two close friends passed away recently, both tragically far too young to die. It makes me reflect that no one is forever, and time with the ones you love is very precious. Bereavement doesn’t half focus the mind on how lucky we are to be alive, and all the blessings that we have. I’m going to spend some time counting mine, believe me!”

By Phil Penfold/Planet Syndication

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